Inner packing for tubing



May 16, 1967 T. c. KITCHELL 3,319,366

INNER PACKING FOR TUBING Filed April 25, 1966 20 I Ti IO 6 h fl 9 L: WHWZf S 3 2| 2 U 2 ,5 "MHZ:

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u HQ 2 7 5 J23 1' I4 l8 1 I3 I 22 j i v H l9 i -E g; a? 61 I51 Mg II II INVENTOR. T ORNE C. KITCHE LL Call-Mb) 9"- AW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,319,866 INNER PACKTNG FOR TUBING Thorne C. Kitchell, Spartanhurg, S.C., assignor to Union Camp fiorporation, a corporation of Virginia Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 545,022 11 Ciaims. (Cl. 229-414) This invention relates to an improved container for shipping and storing coilable materials and, more particularly, to an improved inner packing for supporting and retaining reels of coilable material in a fixed position within the container.

A great many types of materials, such as plastic film, yarn, flexible tubing, wire, fabrics and the like, are shipped and stored in a wound condition around a core, such as a reel, tube, bobbin, cone and the like. During the shipping and storing of these cores of material, they tend to move about within the container. This movement is highly undesirable because it causes the wound material to rub against the walls of the container. The problem of rubbing is twofold. The engagement of the wound material with the walls of the container tends to damage the outer layers of the material, particularly the more frangible material. In addition, the force of the material and its core rubbing and pushing against the walls of the container greatly weakens the container and increases the possibility that the container will rupture and allow its contents to spill out.

The problem of the wound material moving within its container is difficult to correct without winding the material around a core until the overall size of the wound core is equal to the internal dimensions of the container. Such a solution is very time consuming and highly uneconomical. Another solution is the provision of a large number of different sizes and types of containers to contain all the different types and sizes of cores and materials. This solution is extremely expensive because of the large number of containers needed and the amount of space required for storage. Another problem occurs in the carrying of a container holding a reel capable of movement, because as the reel shifts so does its center of gravity, thereby causing one end or the other of the container to become heavier.

The present invention eliminates these problems by providing an inner packing for a container which holds the coila'ble material in a fixed position during shipping and storing.

An object of this invention is to provide a container having a new improved inner packing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container having an inner packing for holding reels of material in a fixed position.

A further object is to provide a container having an inner packing for holding different length Winding cores containing Windable materials in a fixed position.

Another object is to provide a container having an inner packing for holding a reel in a centered position within the container.

Another object is to provide a container having an inner packing which is easily and quickly removed.

Still another object is to provide an inner packing which can be shipped in a flat condition and assembled quickly and easily when needed.

A further object is to provide an inner packing that is economical to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inner packing that is adaptable for use in containers of varying lengths.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article 3,3 l fihfi Patented May 16, 1 .967

hereinafter described and the scope of the invention which will be indicated in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of this invention of an inner packing for shipping and storing coilable material within a container will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of the inner member of the packing;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank of the overlapping member of the packing;

FIG. 3 is a projected view of an intermediate step in the assembly of the packing; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the packing in its assembled position.

Referring now to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a fiat blank of sheet material such as paperboard or the like, of a weight suitable for the type of reel and material to be held. The inner blank 1 consists of a center portion 2 having a substantially X-shaped aperture 3. One leg of the aperture 3 lies along a longitudinal center line 20 and the other leg lies along normal center line 21. The legs of aperture 3 are of a width slightly greater than twice the thickness of the paperboard. In order that the inner packing can be carried when assembled, center portion 2 is provided with a hand hole 4 parallel to longitudinal center line 20 and bisected by normal center line 21.

The side portions 6 are hingeably attached to opposite edges of center portion 2 along score lines 5. The score lines 5 are partially cut through along their entire length in order to permit the attached side portions 6 to be bent 180. The side portions 6 are one-half the length of center portion 2, so that when they are folded 180 about score lines 5 into overlying relationship to center portion 2, the outer edges of the side portions 6 abut along normal center line 21.

Tongues 7 are secured to the outer edges of side portions 6 along score lines 8, the tongues being symmetrical around longitudinal center line 20. Tongues 7 are of a length sufiicient to pass through the leg of the X-shaped aperture 3 lying along normal center line 21, and extend substantially beyond. Slots 9, which are complementary to the leg of the X-shaped aperture 3 lying along longitudinal center line 20, lie along center line 21 and intersect side portions 6 and tongues 7. U-shaped apertures 10, in longitudinal alignment with and complementary to hand hole 4, extend inwardly from the outer edges of side portions 6.

In assembly, tongues 7 are folded about score lines 8 to a vertical position and side portions 6 are folded inwardly along cut score lines 5 into overlying relationship to center portion 2. The tongues 7 are now inserted through the leg of aperture 3 lying along center line 21. In the folded position, with tongues 7 extending through apertures 3, the U-shaped apertures 10 form a hand hole complementary to hand hole 4, and slots 9 overlie the leg of aperture 3 lying along center line 20. Since side portions 6 are one-half the length of center portion 2, they abut each other along center line 21 without overlapping.

FIG. 3 shows the inner member in its assembled condition with tongues 7 extending through aperture 3 in abutting relationship. When the inner member is in its assembled condition, the cut score lines 5 face outwardly.

FIG. 2 shows a fiat blank of sheet material such as paperboard from which the overlapping member of the inner packing is to be made. The overlapping member 11 consists of an overlapping top portion 12 having a substantially X-shaped aperture 13 which is complementary to X-shaped aperture 3 and has identical dimensions. One leg of aperture 13 lies along a longitudinal center line 22 and the other leg lies along normal center line 23.

Attached to opposite edges of overlapping top portion 12 along double score lines 14 are overlapping bottom portions 15 of a length one-half that of top portion 12. The two score lines comprising the double score line 14 are separated by a distance slightly greater than twice the thickness of the paperboard used to make blank 1. One of the overlapping bottom portions 15 has a hand hole 16 complementary to hand hole 4 of blank 1. Hand hole 16 lies parallel to center line 23 and is bisected by longitudinal center line 22. Tongues 17 are positioned along the outer edges of overlapping bottom portions 15 along the score lines 18. The tongues 17 are symmetrical around center line 22 and are of a length sufficient to pass through the leg of the X-shaped aperture 3 lying along longitudinal center line 20 and to extend substantially beyond. Tongues 17 have an intermeshing slot 19 of a width slightly greater than twice the thickness of the paperboard. Slot 19 starts at the outer edge of tongue 17 and runs inwardly along longitudinal center line 22 for a distance equivalent to the length of the slot 9 that extends into tongue 7 beyond score line 8, as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the inner member in its assembled condition and the overlapping member 11 in a position prior to assembly. In the assembly of the inner member with the overlapping member tongues 7 are inserted through the leg of X-shaped aperture 13 lying along longitudinal center line 22 and overlapping top portion 12 is pushed down into overlying abutting relationship to center portion 2.

Overlapping bottom portions 15 are folded about douhle score line 14 which overlaps the sides of the inner member until tongues 17 which are folded to a vertical position about score lines 18 can be inserted in the leg of aperture 3 lying along longitudinal center line 20. Upon insertion, tongues 17 are pushed upwardly into interlocking engagement with tongues 7. The interlocking engagement of the tongues 7 and 17 is caused by tongue 7 sliding within intermeshing slot 19 and tongue 17 sliding within slot 9.

Tongues 17 are pushed upwardly until bottom portions 15 are in abutting relationship to side portions 6, at which point the inner member is sandwiched between top portion 12 and bottom portions 15. The insertion of tongues 17 into aperture 3 causes hand hole 16 to come into complementary alignment with hand hole 4 to provide a means for carrying the completed inner packing.

FIGURE 4 shows the inner packing in its .assembled condition with tongues 7 and 17 in interlocking engagement. The inner packing, as shown in FIG. 4, is inserted in each end of a reel of coilable material until the hollow core of the reel engulfs the interlocking tongues 7 and 17 of each packing. Such unit comprising the reel and end packings is inserted into a rectangular container with the bottom portions 15 of the packings fiat against the ends of container. In the resultant package the reel is suspended in a fixed position between the packings which serves to protect the material on the reel against damage during shipment and storage. Furthermore the entire unit can be easily removed from the container by means of the hand holds in each packing.

While I have described a container holding only a single reel, it will be understood that a number of reels can be retained by utilizing additional inner packings.

Although the invention has been set forth in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications may be made without departing from its spirit and scope as defined in the following claims.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article, and dilferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description (or shown in the accompanying drawing) shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a container for supporting reels of coilable material, -an improved inner packing comprising:

an inner menrber having an X-shaped aperture and a pair of tongues extending through one leg of said aperture, and

an overlapping member having a complementary X- shaped aperture and a pair of slotted tongues, said overlapping member overlying said inner member so that said tongues of said inner member extend through one leg of said aperture in said overlapping member and said slotted tongues of said overlapping member extend through the opposite leg of said aperture in said inner and overlapping members in interlocking engagement with said tongues of said inner member.

2. The stnucture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the legs of said apertures extend along the normal and longitudinal center lines of said inner and overlapping members.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said X-shaped apertures comprise two legs of a width greater than twice the thickness of said tongues.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner packing has a hand hole for carrying said packing.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inner member comprises:

a center portion having an X-shaped aperture;

side portions hingeably attached to opposite edges of said center portion; and,

a tongue hingeably attached to the opposite edge of each said side portion and symmetrical about the longitudinal center line.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein said tongues and side portions have intersecting slots sym metrical about the longitudinal center line and complernentary to the longitudinal leg of said X-shaped aperture.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein said side portions are hingeably attached tosaid center portion along score lines which are partially cut through along their entire length.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said side portions are one-half the length of said center portion.

9. The structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said overlapping member comprises:

an overlapping top portion having an X-shaped aperture;

overlapping bottom portions hingeably attached to opposite edges of said top portion, and,

a slotted tongue hingeably attached to the opposite edge of each said bottom portion and symmetrical about the longitudinal center line.

10. The structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein said bottom portions are hingeably attached to said top portion by double score lines, said score lines being separated by the thickness of said inner member.

11. The structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein said bottom portions are one-half the length of said top portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,933 12/1932 Pratt 20652 3,094,211 6/1963 Bender 206 3,229,812 1/1966 Metzger 206-58 3,258,116 6/1966 Goerke 206-65 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. D. DIXSON, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING REELS OF COILABLE MATERIAL, AN IMPROVED INNER PACKING COMPRISING: AN INNER MEMBER HAVING AN X-SHAPED APERTURE AND A PAIR OF TONGUES EXTENDING THROUGH ONE LEG OF SAID APERTURE, AND AN OVERLAPPING MEMBER HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY XSHAPED APERTURE AND A PAIR OF SLOTTED TONGUES, SAID OVERLAPPING MEMBER OVERLYING SAID INNER MEMBER SO THAT SAID TONGUES OF SAID INNER MEMBER EXTEND THROUGH ONE LEG OF SAID APERTURE IN SAID OVERLAPPING 